Public Speaking as Expanded Conversation

Public speaking retains three important characteristics of good conversation. First, it preserves the natural directness and spontaneity of informal talk. Second, it is colorful and compelling, And third, it is tuned to the reactions of listeners.

Public Speaking Preserves Conversational Directness and Spontaneity. Even though a message has been carefully planned and prepared, it must come to life before the live audience. Consider the following opening to a self introductory speech:

It may seem hot here today, but it’s not near as hot as Plainview, Texas, where I was born and reared. I almost said “roasted”. John has just told us about the joys of urban living. Now you’re going to hear about what you might call a “country-fried” lifestyle.

Compare that opening with:

My name is Sam Johnson, and I come from Plainview, Texas.

The first version, because of its references to weather conditions and to an earlier speech, seems fresh and spontaneous. The “us” and “you”, together with the casual humorous remarks, suggest that the speaker is reaching out to his audience. The second, unless presented with a great deal of oomph, will sound quite ordinary. The first opening invites listening, the second invites yawning.

Public Speaking Is Colorful and Compelling. We enjoy listening to good conversationalists often because of their colorful speech. Consider the following development of the ” heat” theme from the above example:

That place was so hot it would make hell seem air-conditioned! It was so hot it would make an armadillo sweat! It was so hot that rattlesnakes would rattle just to fan themselves!

Compare those word with the following;

The average summer day in Plainview was often over a hundred degrees.

The literal meaning of both statements is not that different, but the first contains the kind of colorful conversational qualities that listeners usually enjoy.

Public Speaking Is Tuned to Listeners. Public speakers must be aware of the reactions of listeners, and make both on-the-spot and carefully planned adjustments. As you develop basic conversation skills, you learn how to monitor listeners reactions. Smiles and frowns, nodding heads, looks of boredom or confusion can all be meaningful signals. The technical term for these reactions is what they call feedback. Feedback is absolutely vital to a public speaker.

Smiles and nods of agreement can raise your confidence and let you know that you are getting through. On the other hand, frowns or signs of confusion or disagreement should prompt you to rephrase a point or present more evidence. Imagine that you were giving a speech about global warming, and some members of the audience looked skeptical or perplexed.

A wise speaker always has additional facts, example, and expert opinions in reserve for such moments.